Redemptoris Mater Seminary is undergoing a $5.5 million renovation to provide more space for the 20 men who live, study and work there.
The construction of a new chapel and basement space in the Catholic seminary at 774 Boylston St. is expected to finish by August 2027.
The seminary currently houses 20 people, including 17 seminarians and three priests. It sits on the campus of the St. Lawrence Church, one of two worship sites of the Saint Mary of the Assumption Parish. The parish’s pastor, Jonathan Gaspar, said the church has no involvement in the construction.
The seminary houses and trains young men to become priests through academic and missionary formation, a process that takes more than three years. The seminary’s rector, or leader, said the group needs more space to continue its mission.
“We ourselves barely fit in, let alone inviting guests,” said the rector, Antonio Medeiros. “We just don’t have the room that would accommodate more than 25, 30 people.”
Construction began in January 2025 and is headed up by Green-Tech Developers of Brighton. The project will enlarge the seminary’s dining room and add a basement meeting room and chapel. The seminary raised money from an annual gala bringing in roughly 700 people, a car raffle and private donations.
“It will be something beautiful that will speak for itself,” Medeiros said. “That’s why we’re investing so much into this — because of the importance of beauty and the building that can continue forming men.”
St. Lawrence’s former rectory, the house provided to the church’s priest, along with a second building, make up the two main components of the seminary now. The new chapel will bridge the two.
“At the heart of what we’re doing is rebuilding the chapel for the seminary,” Medeiros said. “The chapel is a little bit like the heart of the seminary.”
Construction was anticipated to be complete by the end of August 2026, but was delayed because of the project’s winter start date and the time it took to build the steel framing. Contractors also encountered ledge that needed to be broken down in order to build a full-height basement, Medeiros said.
“There were some delays that significantly slowed things down,” Medeiros said. “If things go well, we hope by the end of next summer to see at least substantial completion of the project.”
Redemptoris Mater Seminary has been in operation since 2005. Twenty-three priests have been ordained through the seminary in that time: 19 of whom work in Boston and four of whom do mission work elsewhere around the world.
Neighbors have not been bothered by the project. “It’s nice to see it beautify the neighborhood,” Boylston Street resident AmyBeth Smith said. “It hasn’t been loud. It hasn’t been disruptive, which is definitely appreciated as an abutter.”
Antonio M. Enrique, a seminary board member and editor of The Boston Pilot, a Catholic newspaper, said the nearly decade-long period of fundraising was fully grassroots.
The goal of the project is to “provide seminarians with an environment that’s conducive to help them in their vocation,” he said. “Why are we doing this project? It’s important for the church and it’s important for the community.”
